Turkey election: Erdogan says he refused to bargain with far-right leader Umit Ozdag

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he refused to bargain with the leader of the far-right anti-immigrant Victory Party to secure his support ahead of the presidential election runoff. 

Right-winger Umit Ozdag has since proclaimed support for Erdogan’s challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), whose campaign has taken a markedly harsher tone towards Syrian refugees in recent days. 

Speaking to CNN Turk, Erdogan alleged that Kilicdaroglu had offered three ministries to Ozdag in return for his support, underlining that his own party did not make such bargains.

Erdogan described a meeting between the deputy chairman of his Justice and Development Party (AKP)  Numan Kurtulmes and Ozdag, where Ozdag asked to be granted either the Ministry of Interior or the Presidency of Disasters and Emergencies if Erdogan was re-elected with his support. 

Kurtulmes reportedly refused, saying “our president will not accept this.”

“We certainly don't do bargaining politics. We said that we would do politics based on morality and principles,” said Erdogan to CNN Turk. 

Turks will head to the polls on 28 May for the second round of presidential elections. Erdogan came out on top during the first round with more than 49 percent of the vote, but failed to secure a majority and prevent the contest from entering a runoff. 

"The shift in @kilicdarogluk's narrative is striking. In the second round, he is talking about being 'swamped' by refugees. This is the language of the far-right"@GalipDalay (@CH_MENAP) on the next round of 🇹🇷's presidential election, via @CNN. pic.twitter.com/I2epMAqwk7

— Chatham House (@ChathamHouse) May 26, 2023

Both Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu have since sought support from the right, reflecting larger-than-expected support for nationalists in the first round of the election on 14 May. 

Where Kilicdaroglu is supported by Ozdag, Erdogan has garnered the support of Sinan Ogan, the ultra-nationalist politician who finished in third place in the first round of Turkey’s presidential elections. 

Syrian refugees have become a major topic in the election and both candidates have promised to take a tougher stance against them. 

Ozdag is a former deputy leader of the nationalist MHP, which is in Erdogan's electoral alliance. He later joined the Iyi Party, which is in Kilicdaroglu's alliance, before being ousted and founding the Victory Party in 2021.